Whoa, Talk About Blunt Honesty. Here's What Nigeria Thinks RE: Bush/Chavez

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

I read this article today at work. It was on Google News and is an opinion on the Chavez/Venezuela foreign minister situation. My jaw almost dropped as I read it as it is quite a blunt perspective on the situation that you really don't get to see here in the good ole US.

Even though I didn't agree with Chavez's approach and am by no means a big Chavez cheerleader, I found that this article transcends those issues and smacks incontrovertible reality into the situation. Give it a read, you'll enjoy it.

Here's a few snips:

*snip*
The latest incident of visiting indignity on the Venezuelan foreign minister confirm to a pattern of US total disregard for international law and proper diplomatic conduct. Since coming to power through democratic elections and launching the Bolivarian revolution, which seeks to break the US stranglehold on the major sector of Venezuelan national life, especially the oil sector, Washington has not hidden its contempt, dislike and profound animosity for President Hugo Chavez. Apart from overt hostility and propaganda to the Chavez regime and the Bolivarian process, the US has undertaken actions to sabotage and topple the administration which Venezuelans chose for themselves in a free and fair election. In 2002, the US administration openly supported a coup deta't against President Chavez.

*snip*
As US flagrant violations and breach of international law and protocols of diplomacy become more incessant, it might be necessary to ponder the eligibility of that country to host the secretariat of the foremost international organization.

A country that prefers to act alone than in co-operation with others, holds world opinion in profound contempt, violates international rules with impunity, arrogates itself the power and wisdom to define universal value, intolerant of the most sublime disagreement and in a most venal form disparages any one who disagrees with it, cannot by any stretch of common sense host, a forum of dialogue and understanding among all mankind.

If Venezuelan foreign minister was held hostage by the American authorities because they do not like his government, any other foreign minister attending the formal functions of the UN could be held in the same way.

*end snip*

Much more inbetween at link below:
http://allafrica.com/stories/200609260438.html

[sweetheart]

1. "arrogates itself the power and wisdom to define universal value"

lucidly written, kudos to the author.

[Freedom_from_Chains]

2. That does kind of cut to the heart of the matter. n/t

[marmar]

3. Alienating the whole world, five countries at a time....

The visceral hate and contempt that I have for this administration is something I've never felt for anyone or anything before. :grr:

[Joanne98]

4. Actually I wish the UN would move to another country!

Somewhere more respectable! Some country that won't let the US act like a dictator. I don't know where though. Maybe Geneva. Not France. Maybe Madrid.

[marmar]

5. Or maybe the Netherlands, specifically Amsterdam.

Then they could settle disputes at Dampkring or Greenhouse Effect. :smoke:

[BelgianMadCow]

10. You Bulldog you

:-)

I vote for Brussels - we already had the Chocolate summit remember.

[marmar]

11. Yes, Leonidas chocolates and Belgian beer could ease many tensions...

:)

[BelgianMadCow]

12. Ah, un connaisseur! I'm sure they could

but now I have to go to the fridge/cupboard! :9

I have to be careful or this subthread will turn into a shameless belgium commercial on my part...

I think a rotating location for the UN headquarter would be feasible as well - Amsterdam, Brussels, Paris, Rome, Berlin, (okay okay it's the UN not he EU).

Maybe we can use the US embassies, likely they will not be needed in the futire is Bush*co gets their way.

[marmar]

13. "will turn into a shameless belgium commercial on my part"

That's fine with me! :) I visited Brussels for the first time earlier this year and loved it. I can't wait to get back, and to visit Antwerp, Ghent and Bruges, too.

[BelgianMadCow]

15. Well when you do get back, drop me a line

maybe we can have the first (?) DU gettogether outside the US. I live 5 mins from Bruges.

Glad you liked your stay. Brussels is multicultural and of course the heart of Europe, Antwerp is very lively and mundain, Bruges is totally historic but can be overcrowded with tourists (small inner city) and is very romantic imho, and Ghent has a lot of history on offer but is also a young and vibrant city (only student city in your list).

Consider Leuven's "Oude Markt", a square with pubs that's called the longest tap in the world , in the oldest university city, when looking for a beeeeeeeeeeeeeeer :-)

[marmar]

16. "Well when you do get back, drop me a line"

You bet... Yes, Brussels is wonderfully multicultural. I really enjoyed the African neighborhood called Matonge. We had sauteed mango at one of the little cafes - it was great!

[tsuki]

7. Oh, Canada.

[ellenfl]

6. that's about it. eom

[Judi Lynn]

8. So beautifully, accurately written!

The writer is razor-sharp. Also in the article:

In a recent report by the US state department, Venezuela is classified along with Cuba as countries where United States should intensify support for internal dissidents and pro-imperialist agents to orchestrate the destabilization of the regimes. However, the fractious Venezuelan pro-US opposition, which is expected to be crushed in a general elections scheduled for December has had its morale badly damaged since its attempt to seize power through a US backed coup.

Washington, obviously frustrated that its Venezuelan supporters are thinning out and increasingly isolated may have chosen international forum like the United Nations to embarrass and provoke the Venezuelan government.

The detention and humiliation of Venezuela's foreign minister is not an isolated incidence, but a pattern of US intervention in the affairs of Venezuela and provocation of its administration. The Venezuelan foreign minister was not on a visit to the United States. He was visiting the United Nations that is on US soil.
(snip)

Very decent of you to post this, OPERATIONMINDCRIME.

Thank you.

[Demeter]

9. k&r

[Selatius]

14. The US government will continue to undermine Chavez for a long time

You don't assault oil interests by making them fairly compensate the nation they draw oil without seeing them go to Washington to lobby for "reform" or "change." Chavez made them pay taxes to help fund social programs for the poor and needy, and Exxon-Mobil et al. don't like that.

Of course, for Chavez, this is not "business as usual" as it is on Wall Street. It's personal, for the US government aided the military overthrow by funding the opposition through organizations like the National Endowment for Democracy, an Orwellian name when one ponders it.

[leesa]

17. Soon, no one will come to this country. Tourism is already in the toilet

and this crap doesn't help one bit. But the nutballs who see commies everywhere and who are apparently afraid of every damned thing will make sure to destroy what's left of international relations.